Honoring a Legacy of Leadership and Advancing the Future of Nursing
The University of South Carolina College of Nursing recently hosted the 2025 Annual Viana McCown Lectureship, a signature event celebrating innovation, leadership, and excellence in nursing. Established in 1963 by Viana McCown, the college’s first Director of Nursing, the lectureship continues her legacy of advancing the profession through knowledge-sharing and community engagement.
This year’s event brought together an impressive panel of nurse leaders who are driving change and innovation across a variety of specialties:
- Carrie Moore, MSN, RN, OCN, NE-BC : MUSC Health, “Cellular Therapies: The Next Generation of Curative Medicine”
- Callie Pahis, BSN, RN: McLeod Health, “Safety Surge: Eliminating Hospital Harm-Drive to Zero Harm”
- Jennifer Baumstark, DNP, APRN, CNM, FACNM: USC College of Nursing, “Nurse Midwifery”
- Hope Gulledge, BSN, RN, BC: Lexington Medical Center, “Violence Assessment Screening”
- Max Danis, BSN, RN, CCRN, CSC, E-AEC, CES-A, VAD-C: Prisma Health, “Heart of Innovations”
For students, the lectureship served as both an educational experience and a powerful source of inspiration. It showcased the diverse paths a nursing career can take from bedside care and advanced practice to research, leadership and innovation.
I was reminded again how much you can grow as a nurse. There are countless opportunities for us to not only further our education but also continue to evolve as nurses so that we can provide exceptional care to our patient population. The Viana McCown Lectureship gave us the opportunity to be inspired by local health care workers and to learn more about the different ways we can improve and use innovation to achieve success. As a soon-to-be-new graduate nurse, I can proudly say this opportunity reminded me that in nursing, endless possibilities await.
Attending the Viana McCown Lectureship was such a valuable experience – it was inspiring
to see how rapidly health care is advancing, from cellular therapy for sickle cell
to innovations in cardiac interventions and patient safety initiatives. As a future
nurse, it excites me to keep learning, advocate for my patients, and use these advancements
to provide the best possible care.
